Cleveland @ San Francisco preview
AT&T Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 26, 2014 ) Cleveland 3, San Francisco 5
After enduring a miserable season in interleague play, the San Francisco Giants are finding the American League more to their liking in 2014. The Giants eye their first series sweep of the season and fourth straight victory overall on Sunday when they complete a three-game home set against the Cleveland Indians. Buster Posey homered in Saturday’s 5-3 victory to halt a 3-for-40 skid and give San Francisco a 2-0 mark against AL opponents after going 6-14 a year ago.
The Giants totaled 10 runs and 32 hits during a 1-5 stretch prior to Wednesday’s 12-run explosion against the Colorado Rockies and carried that momentum over to this series, scoring five runs in each of their two victories over the Indians. Cleveland has scored only four times against San Francisco after tallying at least that many runs in each of its wins while going 4-1 in its previous five games. Cleanup hitter Carlos Santana is hitless in five at-bats in the series and just 3-for-54 with one home run and two RBIs over his last 15 contests.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Danny Salazar (0-3, 7.85 ERA) vs. Giants RH Ryan Vogelsong (0-1, 7.71)
The hard-throwing Salazar continued to struggle in Tuesday’s 8-2 setback against the Kansas City Royals after he yielded five runs (four earned) and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old Dominican, who is averaging 11.29 strikeouts per nine innings – the most of an Indians’ starter – has a 9.95 ERA over his last three turns and is allowing opponents to bat .347 against him. Salazar is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two career interleague outings and will face the Giants for the first time.
After turning in his finest start of the season in his previous turn, Vogelsong was pounded in Monday’s 8-2 road loss versus the Rockies, giving up five runs on six hits in only 1 1/3 innings – his shortest outing in 82 starts as a Giant. The 2011 All-Star has been much better at home in two turns (4.09 ERA) than he has been on the road (15.19) over the same number of starts in 2014. Vogelsong was tagged for seven runs over five frames in his only other outing against Cleveland in 2003.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants can set a National League record with their 258th consecutive sellout on Sunday, one better than the Philadelphia Phillies’ streak that lasted from July 7, 2009 to Aug. 5, 2012.
2. Indians DH Jason Giambi, who has been limited to pinch-hitting duties in this series, is one homer shy of tying Alex Rodriguez for the most home runs in interleague play (52).
3. Santana has played in all but one game this season, but managed to drive home a run in only two contests.
PREDICTION: Giants 6, Indians 4